The weird retirement thing from 2004 kept him from having the HoF career he could have but at his peak he was still a great back, MVP-caliber if Miami had had a real passing attack to compliment him. Hope Master P, retirement #1 and children born out of wedlock don't combine to make him broke.

Without having intimate knowledge of the situation, I figured he was one of those guys who would have to try and keep pushing it for a number of years, due to monetary concerns.

Certainly a unique career. He could have continued in his current role for about another year or so, but 35 year old running backs are a rare species. Didn't really care for him during his weird "odessy" in the middle part of the decade, but he turned things around.

I never understand the admiration people have that he likes other things much more than football. Being well rounded is great, and once you retire, the fact you can be some sort of renassance man is very admirable. But not caring enough to be the best that you can be at your craft is admirable how? Because he didn't care enough to be as good as he could.

And i don't mean he should keep playing even if he does not want to. I mean while he played, he clearly didn't care as much as most others did. He got by on physical gifts.

I never understand the admiration people have that he likes other things much more than football. Being well rounded is great, and once you retire, the fact you can be some sort of renassance man is very admirable. But not caring enough to be the best that you can be at your craft is admirable how? Because he didn't care enough to be as good as he could.

And i don't mean he should keep playing even if he does not want to. I mean while he played, he clearly didn't care as much as most others did. He got by on physical gifts.

He basically just did it as a career imo. I can respect the fact that football isn't life for him. But it really started to eat away at him, and he had some issues anyway, I'm surprised he didn't just full out walk earlier. I'm sure he loves the game, but not like MJ loves basketball, or Tiger loves golf.

It's not about admiration, it's about respecting a guy who had the world in his hands basically, and said: "You know what I'm gonna go a different way with this." Like Glen Coffee. ( )

I never understand the admiration people have that he likes other things much more than football. Being well rounded is great, and once you retire, the fact you can be some sort of renassance man is very admirable. But not caring enough to be the best that you can be at your craft is admirable how? Because he didn't care enough to be as good as he could.

And i don't mean he should keep playing even if he does not want to. I mean while he played, he clearly didn't care as much as most others did. He got by on physical gifts.

I see what you're saying, but I think part of it stems from his willingness to simply go do something else. It's not as if he talked the talk but didn't walk the walk.

As for how much desire he had and how much was physical gifts, I don't think anybody is in a position to judge that. He came back to the game through the CFL, didn't he? Can't imagine that was life changing money. And the NFL doesn't hand anything to anybody, especially flaky, over 30 RB. Guy had to show something the last few years in order to even get a chance.

In any case, one of the more interesting athletes of the last couple decades.